India's Leather and Footwear Industry

How big India's leather and footwear industry is, why it employs millions, and why India is a leading producer but a smaller exporter than China and Vietnam.

India is one of the world’s largest producers of leather and footwear.

Scale

India is the world’s second-largest footwear producer after China.
The sector employs around 4 million people, many of them women and workers from marginalised communities.

Products

Finished leather.
Footwear: leather and non-leather.
Leather goods: bags, wallets and belts.
Garments and saddlery.

Exports

Leather and footwear exports are around 5 billion dollars a year.
Main markets: the US, UK, Germany and France.

Domestic market

Most Indian footwear is sold at home, a large and growing market.

Labour-intensive

Shoemaking needs many workers per rupee of investment, making it valuable for jobs.

Gap

India’s exports are much smaller than China’s and Vietnam’s, despite large production.

The shoe you wear

A pair of leather shoes sold in a German shop may have been cut and stitched in a factory in Tamil Nadu.

Thinking India's leather industry is small

India is the world's second-largest footwear producer.

Key takeaways

India is the second-largest footwear producer.
The sector employs about 4 million people.
Exports are around 5 billion dollars a year.
Most footwear is sold domestically.